Vehicle safety data is provided by IIHS, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing deaths and injuries on the nation's highways.
Sporty meets safe and luxurious—just not at a luxurious price. The 2010 Volvo C30 takes everything that’s good about a Volvo and packs it into a stylish and practical hatchback.
Under that very-Volvo hood is a 227-horsepower, 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain achieves 21 mpg city and 29-30 mpg highway, which is on par with the Volkswagen GTI and Mazda Mazda3 wagon, while power is far superior to those vehicles and the Mini Cooper S.
Twenty cubic feet of cargo room and 34.2 inches of rear legroom (more than the BMW 1 Series or Mini Cooper) make the Volvo surprisingly spacious for its compact exterior dimensions. The C30 emphasizes maximum visibility with its one-of-a-kind large glass rear hatch. The design seems to invite you to look through the rear window and appreciate the view between the separate rear seats leading to Volvo’s trademark “floating” center stack.
The T5 model comes with standard/optional features including four cloth seats, power adjustable front seats with heat, power windows and doors, air conditioning, a CD player, an upgraded 650-watt Dynaudio stereo, a sunroof, HD and Sirius Satellite Radio, a portable navigation system, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, alloy trim and leather wrappings for the steering wheel, shift knob and parking brake lever. The R-Design model steps up the C30’s game with firmer suspension for more fun driving, as well as leather seats and unique leather and alloy interior trim.
A very well engineered chassis, which features Volvo’s patented front structure with superb crumple zones, is first on the safety features list. Airbags at the front, front-side and two-row head positions offers excellent protection for all four occupants. The 2010 Volvo C30 does not have NHTSA crash test ratings available, but the 2009 C30 received a Top Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — what else would you expect from a Volvo? To keep those safety features from being needed, a blind spot warning system (BLIS), four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and stability control are all standard features.
Plenty of interior room, high-end interior features, decent fuel economy, renowned safety and a completely unique exterior look give the 2010 Volvo C30 very high appeal.